Rockford, Illinois SperlingViews

"stay out of Rockford,IL."

Rockford is truely a living breathing nightmare. Recently, a young bi-racial man was gunned down inside of a chuch slash daycare. He'd had a dispute with his girlfriend; police were called;the young man ran across the street to avoid the police. He was shot in the back by two white officers. The same officers that had priors of shooting other victims. There were children and adult witness that saw the terrible incident. This is not the only racially sparked evil that has lingered throughout this town. Unemployment in this town is the highest in the whole state. Drugs, crime and police brutality laces this den of doom!

My last day living in Chicago I pondered my move to Rockford while sitting in a traffic logjam downtown at the Circle. Took me 4 hours to get from Chinatown to Wheeling. What first truly impressed me about Rockford was the lack of heavy, bustling traffic. At first it seemed like a strange town with very strange people and ideas...but as I worked here and began to know some people I was beginning to discover that I was able to differentiate between who was locally born and raised and who was a ex-pat from another area of the country. It's understandable why people here have lost all hope for a good life. During the 17 years I have been here I have seen most of Rockford's manufacturing base crumble away or relocate to a more amicable climate for business. There is nothing here to draw quality individuals. There are no "real" jobs to be had. I have observed a huge gap between rich and poor in Rockford. No indication of a thriving middle class whatsoever. The only reasons I stay put are because as one of the lucky ones I have a good job and the cost of living is lower here than in Chicago. Outside of those 2 reasons... Rockford is a wasteland.

Rockford could be SO much better than this. But high unemployment and low rates of educational attainment hold us back so much. Racial and economic segregation is a bigger problem than anyone want to admit. Propriety tax rates are beyond obscene.
Lifelong Rockfordians are proud of their city and most really try hard to improve life here. For the most part my husband and I like living here, too, but unfortunately we feel like it's time to abandon this sinking city and state.

Rockford has too many drug dealers and gangs. If you want to live in fear move to Rockford. There are a lot of ghetto kids. they steal if they can especially on 23rd ave. The black gang members walk down 10th street and try to break into homes and cars. The town is a mess. too much traffic, radium in the drinking water. Everyone is trying to sell their homes. Some homes are vacated. Why because gangs and thieves drove these people out. Some are senior citizens. They are the weak. So the gangs find them as prey. Prostitutes on 11th street. White trash at the 11th street park. You need a dog or a gun if you live on the South East Side. There is always someone trying to break into a house. They first start by knocking on your door if your lights are out. Always leave a light on. Also the cops do nothing to stop this or the mayor. What a poor excuse of tax payer money.

Rockford is a very large city,very diverse and ethnic. Is is very divided between rich and poor, black and white. Good city for cost of living, but politicians do not like change. I feel like we are way behind and we were voted worst city in America 3 years running.

This town is going nowhere fast-if you read the local paper it will not give you the real facts as it is trying to change the perception of the community to residents and outsiders, though this does nothing to help teh reality of the town---problem is, changing the reality will take more time than most people have. You would have to be very desperate to make a move here or not understand what is good for you or your family. There is a reason that only 13% of the population has a bachelor's degree in Rockford (the paper will tell you over 20%). Those who are educated know this place is going nowhere fast and understand that a quality life can not be made here. Crime, education, unemployment, are all bad and some of teh worst in nation(recently rated 9th most dangerous city in the US,)--and will be for sometime. If yo got twenty years to kill--this is your place.

Although Rockford summers have gotten shorter and the weather is much less consistent, there is a lot to do in the summer in the nearby communities. We have Magic Waters (a large outdoor water park), Rock Cut State Park (a great park with a lake, horseback riding trails, biking/walking trails, fishing), Pearl Lake (man-made), and the Rock River (although dirty, it is great for recreational boating). These are just a few of the attractions. However, the downfall is the winter...there is NOTHING to do. There are a few sledding hills for snow fun, but the entertainment aspect is dull at best.
The school system in Rockford has gone through so many lawsuits due to racism, that the focus on education has been lost. Integration has been the concern instead of making sure ALL ethnicities receive the same educational opportunities.
Although the housing prices are very reasonable, the property taxes have ALSO been affected by the poor school system. Homeowners are forced to pay incredibly high property taxes in order to pay off the various school district lawsuits.
The road conditions are the worst. The streets have been neglected in most areas.
Regardless of the number of multi-racial children in Rockford, racism still runs rampantly through the large "small town." Hopefully the next generation can kick this bad habit!!!

i've lived in rockford for almost 4 years now, and yes at first i didn't like it here. why wouldn't i? new place, new people, new life. then, i got into the local scene. if you go around town you will meet some interesting people, i mean i understand the crabbiness, it's so cold here who wouldn't be? haha, but yes, i learned that here just like any other place in the u.s. you've got to treat others as you want to be treated. it's contagious, trust me. things, actually aren't so bad here. the "thugs" an other reviewer was speaking of, well, they aren't going to do anything to you unless you give them a reason. most likely, the only reason why that person had nothing but horrible things to say was because, they might have been rude and no one was putting up with them. quite honestly? this is a nice place to have fun. there are a lot of local spots you can just hang out and party, some places you can just lounge around. then some places you can dine and not be bothered. it's all in what you choose to do. make it the best for you and it will turn out the best in all.

If you are looking for a moderate climate, this is NOT the place for you. For example, the Rockford Public Schools are closed today (1-21-2011) due to "arctic conditions" - with air temps well below zero (I recorded -14 at 7:20 AM) and wind chills way below that. The first snow of the winter season usually arrives around Thanksgiving and we sometimes don't see clear ground again until late March or early April. If one could really get out and enjoy the snowy sports, you would have snow; however, you have to drive at least 2 hours away to find downhill skiiing and often air temps are too dangerously cold to intelligently participate in any outdoor activities at all. Spring is a short season, followed by humid summers that aren't too bad, followed by a short but lovely fall season. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best climate, I would rate Rockford, Illinois, as a solid 3. Better bring your arctic down-filled Carhartts if you're going to live up here.

Lived here for over 25 years in lots of different parts of the city... I have never had any problems...it is true the town has changed...it's not the vibrant place it once was 10 years ago, but it is still a very easy place to live... quiet, good place to raise a family...you get out of it what you put into it...if you're bored get a gym membeship and satellite tv...if that's not enough... drive an hour east to Chicago and you can have the Art Institute etc... but even then, after you come and go a couple of times, you reallize there's only so times you can look at the same Picasso, and you begin to think.. ok... that was cool.. now what? Rockford is just like any number of small towns in the U.S.....some good, some bad, and never all the things you want to make it a dream place...if you want art, music, etc...you have to go after it on your own... it's out there in a variety of places...every town has it's good and bad sections... common sense.. live in the good part, stay out of the bad part and you'll never have any trouble.. lastly, the schools are fine... I've had four kids in elementary, middle and high school, and have found nothing but the finest people in the school system... the responsibility for getting a good education rests upon the student and the parents...

We've lived in Rockford for just over 10 years now. Yes, the town has problems; every place has problems. but Rockford has an incredible amount to offer, particularly for a town that most people consider "dead". Most other "dead" towns should have so much! Theater, music, art, colleges, restaurants (both local and chain), extracurricular stuff for kids, pubs and taverns, solid theology churches, wacky theology churches, great parks, and a huge number of people working to fight the "dead: reputation we have. Yes, we've chosen to home school our children, and there's lots of support for that as well. We've been able to buy a great house in a transitional neighborhood that we wouldn't have been able to touch in most other markets, with more of a yard than most contemporary houses. We're glad we're here.

Do not live here unless you need a handout. there are food pantries, free clothing,cheap; housing. a packed food stamp office. There are no real jobs here. The schools are terrible. the gangs are horrible. the police are lazy. There is fast food all over town. so you may get fat from smelling all the Taco Bell, Mc Donalds. there are a lot of fat people here. Most of the homes here flood. the taxes are high. There are a lot of thugs here. 3 teenage girls on Fridays and Saturdays key cars at the Cherry Vally Mall in the Macy's parking lot. Teenage thug girls walk up and down 23ave and shout at people "What are you looking at." just to start an altercation. It is a power struggle with these thugs they try to bully people.. I may let my dog lose so he can chase them. The Gem suburban trailor court has trash living there. the parents do not watch the kids.

As a previous poster stated, Rockford Park District is great, but with winter conditions lasting 5-6 months a year, and lots of rain, wind and humidity the rest of the year, it's not easy to plan on outside activities. For every good weather day we get, we pay for it with 3 days of bad. And Burpee Museum and Discovery Center are nice, but do you want to spend every weekend there? Unless you are into religion or the bar scene, there's not much to do without lots of cash. The crime rate here is sky high, comparable to Chicago, which has 2.6 million more people than Rockford. As for being close to Chicago, count on a 90 minute drive. And don't forget unemployment, recently at 18%. On the plus side, real estate is cheap, probably because no one wants to live here.

You may be very surprised to find that Rockford, Illinois has plenty of cultural things to do and see. The Discovery Center Museum, Burpee Museum of Natural History, Midway Village Museum, and Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum are among the most prominent of sites to visit. There is also an abundance of theaters in the Rockford area, including, the New American Theater, the recently restored to its original state theater, the Coronado, and the outdoor Starlight Theater at Rock Valley Community College. There is plenty to do and see while visiting Rockford, Illinois!

Rockford offers a varied palette of entertainment and recreation.
A phenomenal park district with extensive parks, golf course and a fabulous waterpark. We also enjoy an extensive forest preserve system. There are many miles of bike/walking paths as well.
Entertainment opportunities range from community theatre, museums, art galleries, traditional and not-so-traditional bars, annual snow sculpture competition, several youth and adult sports competitions. Our local sports teams include professional baseball, soccer and the wildly popular Blackhawks farm team the Rockford Ice Hogs.
There is lots to do right here but you're 90 minutes from Chicago and an untold number of opportunties.
Not only is there lot's to do but our four seasons are wonderful to enjoy. We don't have hurricans, mudslides, wildfires, or earthquakes. We have beautiful Springs as the areas come alive with flora and fauna. Summers that are hot but not too much roll into colorful, crisp falls. Winters require a snowblower but nothing beats the crunch of new fallen snow under your boots.

Police brutality; High crime rate; the highest unemploment in the wholoe state
Drugs and gangs are everwhere. And loads of discrimation! And of course the new million dollar prison, and they've been talking about building another one. What does that tell you?

Rockford is truely a living breathing nightmare. Recently, a young bi-racial man was gunned down inside of a chuch slash daycare. He'd had a dispute with his girlfriend; police were called;the young man ran across the street to avoid the police. He was shot in the back by two white officers. The same officers that had priors of shooting other victims. There were children and adult witness that saw the terrible incident. This is not the only racially sparked evil that has lingered throughout this town. Unemployment in this town is the highest in the whole state. Drugs, crime and police brutality laces this den of doom!